INTRODUCTION
What is Foreign Humanitarian Assistance?, . . . and what are the ‘success
factors’ and lessons that senior military leaders should take into consideration?
Joint doctrine states:
Foreign humanitarian assistance (FHA) consists of Department of
Defense activities conducted outside the United States and its
territories to directly relieve or reduce human suffering, disease,
hunger, or privation.
FHA provided by US forces is limited in scope and duration; designed
to supplement or complement the efforts of the host nation (HN) that
has the primary responsibility for providing that assistance; and may
support other USG departments or agencies.
FHA operations (including Foreign Disaster Relief operations) are
normally conducted in support of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) or the Department of State (DOS).
JP 3-29 Foreign Humanitarian Assistance, JCS, 3 Jan 2014
As initial ‘food-for-thought’ for senior military leader consideration, the following
are some of the key observations from JTF-Haiti’s leadership – responsible for
guiding US military support of humanitarian relief operations in Haiti in 2010:
Success in a foreign disaster relief operation hinges on partnerships.
Operation Unified Response could not have succeeded without the
strong partnerships shared and developed with the government of
Haiti, UN, USAID, and NGO counterparts.
To coordinate and collaborate with nonmilitary partners, it was
necessary to share information. Early on, we decided to be open and
transparent.
We recognized that the JTF must be transparent, approachable, and
responsive to the public – Haitian and U.S. as well as international
audiences.
The most significant challenge facing the U.S. military and the international community in the initial emergency phase was logistics.
Foreign Disaster Response: Joint Task Force-Haiti Observations, by
LTG P.K. (Ken) Keen (US Army) et al., Military Review, Nov-Dec 2010
This Sampler explores the complex issues involved in Foreign Humanitarian
Assistance. It presents a lesson report containing ten lessons from recently
conducted FHA operations, an extensive list of references, and three annexes
with top observations from operations in Haiti, Japan, and the Philippines.
Additionally, considerations and guidelines for senior military leaders and
staffs to take into account during planning and execution of Foreign Humanitarian
Assistance / Disaster Relief operations are captured in the Conclusion section.
Table of Contents | Quick Look | Contact PKSOI
Page 3 of 54